34 Facts About Louise Lasser

Louise Lasser was born on April 11,1939 and is an American actress, television writer, and performing arts teacher and director.

Louise Lasser is known for her portrayal of the title character on the soap opera satire Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, for which she was Primetime Emmy Award nominated.

Louise Lasser made her Broadway debut in the musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale.

Louise Lasser was married to Woody Allen from 1966 until 1970 and acted in several of his early films including Take the Money and Run and Bananas.

Louise Lasser hosted Saturday Night Live in 1976 and took guest roles in The Bob Newhart Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Laverne and Shirley and St Elsewhere.

Louise Lasser portrayed Beadie in the Lena Dunham-created HBO coming-of-age series Girls from 2013 to 2014.

Louise Lasser is a life member of The Actors Studio and studied with both Sanford Meisner and Robert X Modica.

Louise Lasser's father wrote and published the Everyone's Income Tax Guide series in the 1970s and 1980s.

Louise Lasser did not fully embrace her Jewish heritage until later in life.

Louise Lasser's mother vowed to never forgive Lasser for her actions, and after divorcing her husband, finally took her own life in 1964.

Louise Lasser studied political science at Brandeis University for three years.

Louise Lasser began her career acting in Greenwich Village coffee shops and bars and performed in improvisational revues before understudying Barbra Streisand as "Miss Marmelstein" in the Broadway musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale.

Louise Lasser acted on the soap opera The Doctors and in television commercials.

Louise Lasser appeared in the 1973 TV-movie version of Ingmar Bergman's The Lie and was featured as Elaine in an episode of the NBC romantic anthology series Love Story.

Louise Lasser brought with her the persona that fit Mary Hartman like a corset.

On July 24,1976, Louise Lasser hosted the penultimate episode of Saturday Night Live's first season.

Louise Lasser's performance is best known for her opening monologue in which she re-creates a Mary Hartman-esque nervous breakdown and locks herself in her dressing room.

Louise Lasser denies that she was ever forbidden to come back.

Louise Lasser asserts that her SNL antics, which include stream-of-consciousness rambling, were "on purpose" and that Lorne Michaels pulled repeats of the broadcast only at her manager's request because her manager was not fond of the whole affair, including the final segment in which the actress sat onstage to discuss her rise to fame and the dollhouse incident.

Louise Lasser called Chase "like-a-bully mean" but Radner "a doll," but aside from the intro segment in which Radner and Dan Aykroyd knock on her changing room door, Chase was the only regular player with whom Louise Lasser had any scenes.

Louise Lasser had a recurring role on St Elsewhere in the mid-1980s as Victor Ehrlich's Aunt Charise, a neurotic comic character.

Louise Lasser appeared in Mystery Men as the mother of Hank Azaria's character.

Louise Lasser had roles in Darren Aronofsky's film Requiem for a Dream, the romantic comedy Fast Food Fast Women and co-starred with Renee Taylor in National Lampoon's Gold Diggers.

Louise Lasser acted in two episodes of HBO's Girls as a Manhattan artist for the series' third season.

Louise Lasser has been a faculty member of HB Studio, where she taught acting technique.

Chris Feil of The Daily Beast wrote, "Louise Lasser makes for what is surely the most hilariously bizarre, yet downright frightening one-scene-wonder".

Louise Lasser said of working with Allen, "I think he's very talented, and really funny, and really serious".

Authorities were called after Louise Lasser's American Express card was denied and Louise Lasser refused to leave without possession of a $150 dollhouse.

Louise Lasser was initially apprehended for two unpaid traffic tickets, but the officers then found the drug in her handbag.

Louise Lasser claimed the cocaine had been given to her several months earlier by a fan.

Ultimately, Louise Lasser was ordered to do six months in counseling, which was easily satisfied because she was already seeing an analyst.

In 2000, Louise Lasser appeared on a panel with her former Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman cast and crew members at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills.

In 1967, Louise Lasser became the first woman to win a Clio Award for Best Actress in a Commercial.

Louise Lasser was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble for her participation in the film Happiness.